Key takeaways
- The Chase Freedom Flex®* and Chase Freedom Unlimited® are both no-annual-fee cash back credit cards with similar rewards rates, but the Freedom Unlimited is potentially a better choice for everyday spending.
- The Chase Freedom Flex offers bonus cash back in rotating quarterly categories, potentially yielding higher returns for those willing to plan their spending around the available categories.
- Choosing between the two cards ultimately depends on individual spending habits. Freedom Flex is best for people who can align their spending with the rotating bonus categories, while Freedom Unlimited offers a more straightforward way to earn cash back.
Chase has offered some of the best travel and rewards credit cards on the market for years, and that includes the issuer’s cash back options. In fact, many Chase “cash back” cards can be part of a strong travel rewards strategy.
The Chase Freedom Flex®* and Chase Freedom Unlimited® cards both come with no annual fee. However, Chase Freedom Flex earns rewards in rotating quarterly bonus categories and some tiered categories while Chase Freedom Unlimited offers steady tiered rewards earning and 1.5 percent back on all other purchases. The tiered categories for both cards include popular everyday spending, such as restaurants and drugstores, as well as boosted earnings on travel purchases made through Chase Travel℠ .
If you are considering a new cash back credit card or a way to boost your Ultimate Rewards earnings and are wondering which of these two options to pursue, keep reading to see how they compare.
Main details
| Features | Chase Freedom Flex | Chase Freedom Unlimited |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome bonus | Chase Freedom Flex® | Chase Freedom Unlimited® |
| Rewards rate |
|
|
| Intro APR | 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, followed by a 18.99% – 28.49% Variable APR | 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, followed by a 18.99% – 28.49% Variable APR |
| Annual fee | $0 | $0 |
Chase Freedom Flex vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited highlights
Both of these cash back credit cards can be rewarding in their own right, but the right one for you depends on your spending habits and rewards goals. The following section highlights how these two cards compare in some of the most important categories.
Welcome bonus winner
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The Chase Freedom Unlimited currently has a limited time offer of $250 (in the form of 25,000 Ultimate Rewards points) after you spend $500 within three months of account opening. With the Chase Freedom Flex, you can earn $200 cash back (in the form of 20,000 Ultimate Rewards points) when you reach the same spending threshold in the same time frame: $500 in the first three months.
These cards often have identical welcome bonuses, so the limited time offer with Freedom Unlimited is a nice opportunity to earn an extra $50 for the same spending requirement.
Rewards rate winner
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It’s hard to compare these two cards in terms of their rewards rates — they’re nearly identical. Both cards offer the same bonus categories: 5 percent back on travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 5 percent back on Lyft rides (through September 2027) and 3 percent back on dining and drugstore purchases.
The difference is that the Chase Freedom Unlimited offers 1.5 percent cash back on all non-bonus spending (compared to 1 percent with the Chase Freedom Flex), and the Chase Freedom Flex offers 5 percent back (after activation) on up to $1,500 spent in quarterly bonus categories (then 1 percent).
If you spend a lot of money on regular purchases (for example, utility bills, kids’ sports, daycare, insurance, etc.) that don’t typically earn bonus rewards, the Chase Freedom Unlimited could easily leave you with more rewards in the end. After all, earning an unlimited 50 percent more in rewards on all regular purchases has the potential to lead to a larger rewards balance.
The Chase Freedom Flex offers 5 percent back in rotating quarterly categories after activation, but this is capped at $1,500 in spending per quarter (then 1 percent). This means you can earn a maximum of $75 in rewards each quarter, or $300 per year on those purchases. The catch is that you won’t have any control over which categories are offered each quarter. Also, Chase doesn’t release its quarterly categories in advance, so you won’t be able to plan your purchases ahead of time. Because of this, you may struggle to maximize rewards.
The simplicity of knowing you’ll earn at least 1.5 percent cash back on each purchase, without having to think about quarterly activations or spending caps, makes Freedom Unlimited the winner in this category.
Annual fee winner
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Neither Chase Freedom Flex nor Chase Freedom Unlimited charge annual fees, which makes them easy to keep in your wallet for the long haul. No-annual-fee credit cards can be beneficial if you don’t charge a lot on your card but still want to earn rewards on your spending.
Travel perks winner
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Both of these cash back cards offer trip cancellation and interruption insurance. If your trip is canceled or cut short due to sickness or other covered circumstances, you can be reimbursed up to $1,500 per person and $6,000 per trip for prepaid tickets and non-refundable passenger fares.
Note, however, that both cards charge a 3 percent foreign transaction fee on all purchases in foreign currency, which can add up quickly if you travel abroad often or make purchases online in foreign currency. If you’re a frequent traveler, we suggest pairing either of these cards with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, which comes with no foreign transaction fees. The Chase Sapphire Preferred is considered to be one of the best beginner travel cards thanks to its solid perks alongside a relatively low annual fee of $95.
By pairing the Chase Sapphire Preferred with either card, you can pool your points in your Chase Sapphire Preferred account for better travel redemptions through Chase. You can even transfer points at a 1:1 ratio to airline and hotel partners like Southwest Rapid Rewards, United MileagePlus, Marriott Bonvoy and IHG Rewards. This is a flexible way to get the most redemption value through Chase Ultimate Rewards and Chase travel partners.
Which card earns the most?
The card that can help you earn the most cash back really depends on how much you spend each month and which categories you spend the most in. The following example shows how you might end up with more rewards with one of these cards over the other.
Chase Freedom Flex vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited spending example
Imagine you use your credit card for all of your regular spending and household bills. You also use your credit card to take advantage of the Chase Freedom Flex bonus categories each quarter. Say that, this quarter, the eligible categories are grocery stores (excluding Walmart) and fitness club and gym memberships.
So, let’s say you spend the following:
- $500 per month on grocery store purchases ($1,500 quarterly total)
- $250 per month on dining at restaurants ($750 quarterly total)
- $800 per month on miscellaneous expenses ($2,400 quarterly total)
With the Chase Freedom Flex, you would earn $121.50 in rewards over three months. That’s $75 in rewards for grocery store purchases, $22.50 in rewards on dining at restaurants and $24 on rewards for miscellaneous spending.
In comparison, with the Chase Freedom Unlimited, you would only earn $81 in rewards over three months. That’s $22.50 in rewards for grocery store purchases, $22.50 in rewards on dining at restaurants and $36 in rewards on miscellaneous purchases.
This example shows how your spending and rewards might look in a quarter where you are able to max out the Chase Freedom Flex quarterly bonus categories. You should keep in mind, however, that things might look differently in quarters where the bonus category doesn’t align well with your spending. In that case, you’ll likely earn 1 percent back on most purchases. So, if you spend a lot more on regular, non-bonus purchases, or don’t anticipate maxing out any bonus categories each quarter, the Chase Freedom Unlimited’s 1.5 percent back on regular purchases is likely the better choice.
Why should you get Chase Freedom Flex?
Like the name says, the Chase Freedom Flex is great for those looking for flexibility in their spending. Here are some of the reasons you should consider signing up.
Additional benefits
The Chase Freedom Flex is a World Elite Mastercard, so it comes with a handful of unique benefits compared to the old Chase Freedom card that was a Visa. Chase Freedom Flex benefits include purchase protection against damage or theft, extended warranties on qualifying items, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, an auto rental collision damage waiver and travel and emergency assistance services.
You’ll also get cellphone protection when you pay your phone bill with your credit card, as well as other World Elite Mastercard benefits, including exclusive offers for ridesharing, food delivery and online shopping, among others.
Redemption options
This card lets you redeem your rewards for cash back, merchandise, travel through the Chase Travel portal, gift cards and more. For superior redemption options, consider pairing this card with a Chase travel credit card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve®. Doing so allows you to combine all your rewards under that travel card, which gives you the option to transfer rewards to a Chase travel partner — a redemption option that potentially yields the greatest value.
Recommended credit score
You need good credit or better to qualify for this rewards credit card, which typically means having a FICO score of 670 or higher.
Why should you get Chase Freedom Unlimited?
The Chase Freedom Unlimited comes with some pretty hefty perks for a no-annual-fee credit card. Here are some of the reasons you should consider signing up.
Additional benefits
Like the Chase Freedom Flex, Chase Freedom Unlimited benefits include purchase protection, extended warranties, trip cancellation and interruption insurance (a fantastic deal for a card with no annual fee), an auto rental collision damage waiver, travel and emergency assistance services and more.
Redemption options
With the Chase Freedom Unlimited, you can redeem for cash back, gift cards, merchandise and travel through Chase Travel. As mentioned with Freedom Flex, if you have a premier travel credit card (like the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve), you can get even more value for your rewards when you use points to book with Chase or by transferring points to popular Chase Ultimate Rewards airline and hotel partners.
Recommended credit score
You need good credit or better to qualify for this rewards credit card, which typically means having a FICO score of 670 or higher.
How to pick between Chase Freedom Flex and Chase Freedom Unlimited
Choosing between the Chase Freedom Flex and Chase Freedom Unlimited cards might boil down to one question: Which is more important to you? Maximizing your rewards with a little effort or having a hassle-free way to earn cash back?
Why you might choose the Chase Freedom Flex card
If you have the time and skill to manage its rewards categories, the Chase Freedom Flex may be worth it as it gives you the opportunity to earn rewards at a higher rate over time.
The 5 percent cash back rate is one of the highest yields in the marketplace, but it will require savvy planning to max out each quarterly bonus category. It may also depend on how well your spending habits align with the quarterly bonuses and how much effort you’re willing to put into planning your purchases.
Why you might choose the Chase Freedom Unlimited card
The Chase Freedom Unlimited may be worth it if you’re looking for a simple rewards card for everyday spending that offers a generous rewards rate on all purchases.
Overall, it may not provide you with the highest potential for rewards, but it’s a good fit for those looking for a better-than-average rewards return without all the fuss.
The bottom line
Make sure to take a closer look at both the Chase Freedom Flex and Chase Freedom Unlimited cards and keep your spending habits in mind. Then, decide whether you want to focus on maximizing bonus categories or earning a higher rewards rate on all regular purchases. Also, take the time to compare other credit cards on the market today, including other Chase credit cards. With a little research, you’ll find the card that’s right for you and be earning rewards in no time.
*The information about the Chase Freedom Flex® has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.
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